[Disclosure: I was invited for a complimentary meal at The Warwick at Mallory Court for the purposes of this blog]
Stu Deeley’s Baked Alaska has a special place in my heart. There’s something about the combination of rhubarb and custard, turned into a dessert that combines the childhood nostalgia of sweets with the refined grown-up elegance of Italian meringue, glazed to perfection that has stayed with me since I first had it when he was at Smoke at Hampton Manor.
When I heard Smoke was closing and Stu was leaving, I thought I might never get it again. Yet here I am, sitting at The Warwick at Mallory Court just outside Leamington Spa, enjoying the same moment of delight as my spoon glides through the silky meringue, digging down into sweet custard and tart rhubarb that together provides the perfect mouthful.
The Warwick at Mallory Court is Deeley’s new culinary home. A striking building that’s slightly reminiscent of Hampton Manor, it’s been given some love in recent years and now promises to become a dining destination thanks to the return of the former Masterchef the Professionals contestant, who started his career here.
The setting is fitting for food for Deeley’s calibre, with expansive manicured gardens and elegantly decorated communal spaces to enjoy a pre or post-dinner drink – plus, of course, the option to get a room and make a whole overnight stay of it – all adding to the experience.
Where Smoke had a slightly more hearty, rustic feel, The Warwick has a more traditional fine dining feel, which no doubt will work well for its location. In fact, there’s no need to use the future tense for this, given that when we visit just a few weeks after opening, the restaurant is packed.
Options are a tasting menu for £105 per person or a three-course a la carte offering for £90, though you’ll still get the fine dining treatment with the latter, courtesy of the joyful addition of amuse bouches, canapés and petit fours afterwards. Dishes are seasonal and refined, but the simplicity that often comes with high calibre restaurants. A faith in well-sourced produce and simple flavours that simply need to be pimped-up rather than messed with too much.
Amuse bouches of smoked trout on a crumpet with a pile of Kateifi pastry and goat’s cheese curd hidden in a charcoal croustade are little mouthfuls of excitement, designed to whet the appetite and give a glimpse of what’s to come. They’re a treat for the eyes and the palate and do exactly what they’re meant to, but it’s a canapé of pecorino custard topped with a smooth, aerated wild garlic veloute that widens the eyes, the vivid green veloute giving way to a cheesy flavour bomb whose contrasting texture adds an extra dimension.
A St Agnes crab, Isle of Wight tomato and pecorino tart is summer personified, delicate and light with a little punch from a Bloody Mary inspired broth. While my Burford Brown egg, encased in more of that crispy Kateifi, is a party of textures as well as flavour, thanks to the hit of caper in a warm tartare sauce, and the char on leeks that serve as a reminder of Deeley’s love of cooking with fire.
We skip the bread course, in an effort not to see it wasted, conscious that we probably won’t be able to manage it, and are helpfully told that it will be boxed up to take home. A nice touch, and a highlight of service that is slightly disjointed at times, with the occasional lengthy wait at times that breaks up the flow and leaves us wondering at the odd moment if we’ve been forgotten.
A poussin main is a delicate gathering of subtle elements, combining tender breast meat that pairs perfectly with a sweet carrot puree, while the slightly bolder leg meat gets some back up from meaty, earthy Maltese mushrooms. Notes of fennel add a flick of aniseed, and a creamy, light sauce – the kind you wish you had a spoon for – brings the whole dish together.
It’s good, but an Oxfordshire hogget dish slightly pips it to the first place prize. It’s simple but tasty, with garden beans and salsa verde bringing very much a spring feel to the dish, showcasing this not-used-enough meat in the best way possible.
The Baked Alaska is a highlight, of course. And judging by some oohs and aahs at other tables, I’d say the other desserts are a winner too. The meal ends with warmed madeleines that sadly come quite a while after our coffee but are an enjoyable final moment to what has been excellent food. Service is nearly as good, but not quite, though we decide this is undoubtedly a new team finding their feet, on an especially busy night. It’s a small flaw in what is a great experience, and one I have no doubt will be ironed out in time.
For Warwickshire to have a chef of Stu Deeley’s calibre is undisputably a coup and it’s clear he’s serious about making The Warwick at Mallory Court a top-notch restaurant. Go for the Baked Alaska alone, then luxuriate in what is a great dining experience. Long may it last.
